Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga.hardware:3203 comp.periphs.scsi:979 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!sunic!tut!metso.tut.fi!mk59200 From: mk59200@metso.tut.fi (Kolkka Markku Olavi) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware,comp.periphs.scsi Subject: Re: Can CD ROMs be read by an eraseable optical disc drive? Message-ID: <1990Aug27.161710.21769@funet.fi> Date: 27 Aug 90 16:17:10 GMT References: Sender: news@funet.fi (#News ) Reply-To: mk59200@metso.tut.fi (Kolkka Markku Olavi) Distribution: comp Organization: Finnish University and Research Network FUNET Lines: 25 In article , Chuck.Phillips@FtCollins.NCR.COM (Chuck.Phillips) writes: |> Dan> Read/write optical disks (I'll say "floptical," though that is very |> Dan> inaccurate) What an understatement! Floptical disks are MAGNETIC disks with optical tracking, they have NOTHING AT ALL in common with CD-ROMs, WORMS or rewritable optical disks. Better use the real names of things. |> Questions: Would it be possible for the same optical device to read both |> types of disks? Alternately, would it be possible to physically fit the |> required optics for both formats into a single box? This would mean fitting two separate head assemblies in the system and duplicating a lot of electronics. It wouldn't be much cheaper than using two separate drives. |> Would it be physically possible to design a drive fit for both formats? Of course it's _possible_, but if it is sensible is another question. What's wrong with using separate drives for CD-ROMs and R/W disks? -- Markku Kolkka mk59200@tut.fi